Normal is a Relative Term
by Princess Antanasia the Vampire
Summary: A one shot. The flock left Anne's a slightly different way. Rated T for infrequent language.


**AN: Random, I wrote it during a free period in school. Before you attack me about it, I know Max and Fang aren't in the same class, but the book only talked about one of their classes. So this is not the teacher either of them has, and Max, Fang, Sam and Lisa are all in this particular class. If you must have a name put to it…how about English, because it's my favorite. Remember, reviews are my life.**

I looked at the teacher and squirmed in my seat. Sam caught my eye and smiled. Like I was a normal girl. It was…nice…almost. Of course, the feeling ended when I sat back and my wings hurt like hell from being curled so tightly against my body. So much for normal. I turned to look at Fang, who was passing notes with Lisa. I was willing to bet that _he_ felt normal. I hid behind my blonde streaked hair as he looked up, embarrassed about being caught staring. "Eyes at the front of the room, Miss Ride." I swiveled around, returning to face the front of the room.

"Sorry, Ms. Alaska." I muttered, my face reddening. There was a brief period of good natured laughter at my expense. I grinned, too but stopped abruptly. My head shot up and my ears perked as I heard a second scream. I turned back to Fang. From his expression, or lack of one, I knew he had heard it, too. "Did anyone else hear that?" I asked, on the off chance anyone else had genetically modified hearing. I was rewarded with several strange glances. Didn't think so. "Hear what?" Sam asked just as the scream came again, this time loud enough for everyone to hear. "That!" I said as I jumped out of my seat. I bolted for the classroom door. "Max Ride! Where do you think you're going!? Nick! Get _back_ here!" Miss Alaska cried, but she had lost control. The entire class streamed out of the room. I looked to the side and saw Iggy, sprinting from his own classroom, a tall girl on his heels, who I supposed was the girl he had spoken about at dinner the last several nights. "Maxine Ride! Return to this classroom at once! That's it! Miss Ride, double detention, three nights a week for a month!" Ms. Alaska cried franticly. Yeah, right. "You can do nothing for the situation! Leave this for the faculty!" She tried when the detention didn't work. _Wrong._ I thought. I was Maximum Ride, and I could sure as hell do more than any teacher. Another scream brought the entire school into the halls. This time I tracked it outside. I ran, going against the flow of the pandemonium. I stopped and called out, "Report!" No sooner than that, I had five flock members at my side. "Outside. Let's go." I instructed. We ran off and I hardly noticed the followers we had gathered as we burst through the double doors. "Damn." I muttered. _Not here. Not now._

"Max, what do we do?" Iggy asked in a hushed voice. Truth was I had no clue. Not against a group of five or six Erasers, one of whom had a small girl, around Angel's age, tucked under his arm. "We fight." I growled, because I was Maximum Ride and sure as hell not to let a girl die because of a stupid cover I hated anyway. There was a collective groan by the Flock, and I swear I heard Fang think, _Lisa._ I heard the school milling out around us, then the inevitable shrieks, screams, yells and shouts. "I've got the girl." I muttered out of the side of my mouth.

"Max, she's in my class." Angel whispered worriedly. The poor girl was a first grader? She was probably terrified.

"On three…One…two!" And they rushed. They were so good, I was so proud. Then I, myself ran head on to meet my enemy. I heard teachers calling, "Get back!" But they didn't know what we were. I shook my head as I ducked a punch thrown by my opponent. I darted to one side, keeping my eyes on the girl. I kicked the Eraser in the back of his right knee, taking the chance that he was a righty. He was and without his right leg, he collapsed, but not without getting a good punch into my gut, leaving me short of breath. I scampered for the girl, but he wasn't having that and clumsily lifted into the sky. _Grrrrr._ I cussed a blue streak and then let out my own wings. More assorted loud yells as I followed the Eraser. In the air, I had the advantage of my speed and agility, but he had the girl and I wasn't sure he was too stupid to think of dropping her. I flew, making my way behind him and before he could turn around, I kicked him with both of my feet, one hitting the spot that connected his right wing to his shoulder and the other, his left. He dropped, letting go of the first grader. I dived for her and caught her. I placed her on the ground and she started crying. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Erasers dispersing. I never realized how lucky I was that Angel almost never cried. That was because _damn_ this kid was loud. And I never realized how lucky I was to have been under the cover of supposed normalcy, as I looked around the astounded and frightened faces of my school mates. "Fuck." I muttered. "Report." I called.

"I'm ok." Nudge sighed disappointedly.

"Good." Gazzy reassured as he rubbed blood off his face. It continued to ooze slowly from a minor cut.

"I'm fine." Angel chirped, despite a swiftly forming bruise on her left cheek.

"Alive." Iggy said, holding his arm at a weird angle. Maybe dislocated…?

"Yeah." Fang muttered. Idiot.

"You sure?" I asked bitterly. "'Cause the last time you neglected to tell us that you were injured, we ended up _here_." I spat. He turned to glare at me.

"I said _I'm fine_." He growled. Fine. Let him be that way.

"Well if no one is severely-" I began and then turned to Iggy. "Strike that. Ig, you need medical help." I told him.

"Not really." He grunted as he screwed his face up, grabbed his arm and with a loud pop, shoved his arm back into its socket. "Damn." He growled in pain. I winced.

"You good?" I asked. He nodded. "Good." I said satisfied. "U and A." I instructed. "To Anne's." Six genetic mutants took to the sky to the soundtrack of screaming people. As I soared I felt at home. And…disappointed? What reason…? My flock fought well, the day was saved…what was wrong? I thought back to not two hours prior sharing a secret smile with Sam…was I upset about letting go of the possibility of a relationship? It didn't seem very likely. I had never even considered a relationship. A tear came to my eye as I realized a relationship would never be a possibility for me. I brushed it away roughly. The flight was over too fast. We went down by the house. We were met by Total and Anne. "Why are you home so early?" Anne asked suspiciously.

"We're leaving." I said simply. "Total, let's go. I have packs hidden away-"

"You're not going anywhere." Anne growled. I felt the cold, metal barrel of a gun on the side of my head. This Pissed. Me. Off. A lot. I grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm behind her. "That was a seriously _bad_ move." I growled menacingly, twisting the skin of her arm in two different directions. I felt grim satisfaction in her cry of pain. I hit her hand against the closest hard object; the trunk of a tree. Her fingers opened on reflex and the gun flew. I nodded at Fang and he picked it up. I reached for it and he passed it. I held it to Anne's jugular. She whimpered. "Now the tables are turned." I whispered. "I hold the gun, I hold the power." I reconsidered. "Not that you ever had any power over me. Did you think you were stronger than _me_?"

"No," she croaked hoarsely.

"Good." I growled, dropping her to the ground. She fell in a heap. "And I think I'll keep this." I continued gesturing to the gun. Then I thought about the practicality of carrying a gun with me. "On second thought, you have it." I finished dropping it by her head.

"Let's go." I called. Six bird kids once again took to the skies, this time with a dog and to the sound of Anne's shrieks of,

"You can't run from the School forever! We'll get you eventually!" Why was I not surprised that Anne was involved with the School? The littler kids were, though and they looked upset. "To the bat cave!" I cried, knowing how ridiculously Batman I sounded. Gazzy smirked. "Say something and I'll murder you." I muttered. We all had a good laugh. We reached the small cave and we picked up our respective packs. I felt comforted by its presence on my back between my wings. I thought back to the dreary English room of Ms. Alaska. The normal kids, living their normal lives. Unremarkable. As I took flight, I felt better. More normal. I was on the run and up in the sky with no one but my flock. Totally normal. I guess normal is a relative term.


End file.
